Strange ‘River Monster’ in Connecticut Creates Stir on Social Media

What the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks, what is that?

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I was recently scrolling through the Connecticut Reddit page when I stumbled on a wild post from u/TryOptimal7361 titled "CT River Monster (Lamprey Eel)."

CT River Monster (Lamprey Eel)
byu/TryOptimal7361 inConnecticut

Nature can be straight-up terrifying sometimes. Sure, these things probably aren’t out there trying to snack on human flesh—but just looking at one is enough to haunt your dreams for years.

Some Reddit users were just as freaked out. Others cracked jokes. And, of course, a few random folks jumped in to flex their deep knowledge of science and nature. Here are some of my favorite responses from the thread:

Ryan_e3p: Well that thing can ____ right off.

PettyWitch: NO WAY! I didn't know we had those here!

connfaceit: And...I'll never swim in a river again thank you.

kosmokramr: Use protection.

ilikecake1985: The forbidden fleshlight.

Braheselk: You're not my supervisor.

BeachAdjacent: Unfortunately many fishermen see these and assume they are invasive, so they do "the right thing" and kill them. Sea Lamprey can be found at certain times in MANY rivers in CT, they are absolutely normal and a part of a healthy ecosystem. Furthest from the ocean I ever found one was in the Farmington northwest of Unionville.

TheAwesomeHeel: a few years back I saw a man in a pond fishing for eel. He had about 3 buckets of eel and said it was about 2 hours work. I am NEVER jumping in a body of water after that.

namastayhom33: thanks for spoiling the next Alien movie.

Aware-Cranberry-950: Lampreys aren't eels. Technically, they're primitive fish. Eels are way too cool to be mislabeled as a lamprey.

HealthyDirection659: That is a strange looking golden retriever.

RedditGotSoulDoubt: Kill it with fire.

Read More: 5 of the World's Deadliest Insects Live in Connecticut 

More on the Sea Lamprey 

• Sea lamprey are locals. They're native to the Connecticut River and other rivers in the state — not some invasive surprise.
• They travel between the ocean and rivers. They live part of their lives in the ocean, then head into rivers and streams to spawn.
• They're not invasive here. While sea lamprey cause problems in places like the Great Lakes, in Connecticut they’re just part of the natural ecosystem.
• They die after spawning — and that’s actually helpful. Their bodies break down and return nutrients to the water, giving the ecosystem a boost.